RIP Dasari garu! You made Telugu cinema a better place

Chiranjeevi’s absence from the final rites ceremony of Dasari Narayana Rao set tongues wagging and earned the Megastar a lot of brickbats on social media. The fact that he was holidaying in China along with a slew of South Indian matinee idols of the 80’s added fuel to the fire. But on Saturday, at a condolence meet organised by the film fraternity, Chiru came clean about the reason for his absence even as he poured his heart out about what Dasari’s friendship meant to him.
“Dasari Narayana Rao gari kadasari chupulu naku dakkkaka povatam naku jeevitham lo entho asamtrupti ni kaliginchinantuvanti sandarbham, aa samayamlo nenu videsalalo undatam mulanga aa avakasam naku lekunda poyindi,” lamented Chiranjeevi as he began his emotional tribute.
Describing Dasari’s demise a huge personal loss Chiru admitted that being unable to attend his final rites will be a regret he’ll never get over. “I was out of the country when he passed away. However, I do have the satisfaction of being associated with the last two occasions when he spoke in public — at the pre-release function of Khaidi No 150 and on May 4 on his birthday when we presented him with the ‘Allu Ramalingaiah Award’. I remember sitting by his side that day when he thanked us and gave us his blessings,” added Chiru.
Throwing light on the little-known facets of the warm camaraderie he shared with the stalwart filmmaker, Chiranjeevi shared, “I visited him when he was hospitalised.
He was not in a position to speak so he took a piece of paper and scribbled, ‘Nee score entha?’ (What is the score?). He was referring to the box-office performance of Khaidi No 150. When I replied that the film had emerged as the highest grosser, he clapped his hands in glee like a small child.”
Members of the audience smiled, moist-eyed with nostalgia and emotion, as Chiru paused to regain composure before sharing another anecdote: “I remember, there was a meeting at his residence and around 50 biggies from the industry had come down for it. After the meeting was over, I told him that I had to leave for a shooting’. However, he would not let me go without having lunch. He personally served me Bommidalu (a variety of fish popular in Andhra), which he said were from our home district (Palakollu). I can never forget the fatherly affection he showered on me that day. There are many such sweet memories.”
Calling the demise of the veteran director a huge and irreparable loss to the film industry, the Megastar said, “Dasari garu has left a huge void. With his death the
workers of the film industry have been orphaned. He was always working relentlessly for their welfare. He used to consider their problems his own and work towards solving them with commitment.”
As he signed off, Chiru said, “I’m glad that I at least got the opportunity to speak at his condolence meet and thereby express the love and respect I have for him. I thank the
organisers for for making this possible.”

Actor-filmmaker R Narayana Murthy gave out a call to the Telugu film industry to unite to ensure Dasari is conferred the highest civilian honours in the country. “It was Dasari garu who first gave me the break in Telugu cinema. Not just me, he gave a break to hundreds of struggling artistes, singers, writers and technicians hailing from impoverished backgrounds. I urge everyone present to join hands and ensure that Dasari garu is awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema. An all-rounder who could act, write, direct and produce movies, he always sought to highlight social issues through his work,” he said adding, “The likes of Vidya Balan have been conferred the Padma Shri but Tollywood legends like Savitri and SVR were ignored. We must all unite and mount pressure on the central government and ensure that Dasari garu is conferred the honours he deserves. It is our duty.”

He was the first person to encourage me to enter the film industry. My first film as producer was directed by him. Anybody in the industry, from the poorest worker to a celebrity could approach him. His demise is an irreparable loss to the industry. – Allu Aravind
When he was discharged from hospital, I spoke to him. He said he had completely recovered. I was stunned when he passed away. He wanted me to resolve a dispute between two unions as he felt that the conflict could escalate and would therefore be bad for the industry. The welfare of cinema was constantly on his mind. – Ganta Srinivas Rao
I was a young girl when my mother passed away. He was the one who consoled me. Again, he was there for me after my father’s demise. He was a father-figure – Jeevitha Rajshekar
He was a multi-faceted personality who made his mark in every endeavor of his, be it as a director, actor, producer, writer, politician or media-house owner. – Venu Madhav
My brother and I collaborated with him only for two films, yet the encouragement and appreciation he gave us was immense. Despite being an excellent writer himself, he had absolutely no ego and gave us our due. – Paruchuri Venkateswara Rao
He was a good friend of my father (Rama naidu) and a person who brought ‘stardom’ to direction. I had the privilege of working as the Secretary of the Telugu Producers Council when he was the President. He Always strived for the welfare of producers. My deepest condolences to the family of Dasari garu. –Suresh Babu Daggubati